Ho Ho Tow

(I’m a manager at an oil change facility. We have large garage doors in the front of the building to pull cars in and out. One evening as I am closing, I go downstairs to change back into my street clothes. After coming back upstairs I find a vehicle parked up against one of my garage doors. My company’s policies require that we tow away unauthorized vehicles before we leave at night. I am in a good mood, so I decide to go into the restaurant next door to ask their manager if any of the customers were the owner. After asking multiple tables, they find the owner of the vehicle along with his wife.)

Manager: “Okay, sir, this is the manager for the business next door; he wants to talk to you.”

Car Owner: *looks at me, obviously irritated* “What do you want?”

Me: “Sorry to disrupt your dinner, sir, but I wanted to let you know that you have parked in front of my store. We are actually closed now and I will have to tow it if it is not moved.”

Car Owner: “Are you serious?”

Me: “Unfortunately so.

Car Owner: “You have got to be f****** kidding me! I can’t even park in a god-d*** parking lot anymore?!”

Wife: “Darling, just move the car; it’s fine.”

Me: “Actually, sir, you’re not even in a parking lot. Your vehicle is parked in front of my store. If you were in my lot I would just let you stay since you’re just eating, but that’s not the case.”

Car Owner: “F*** you. I’m not moving my car!”

Manager: “Sir, I need to ask you to watch your language or I will need you to leave.”

Car Owner: “You stay out of this! It’s none of your god-d*** business!”

Me: *at this point my good mood has diminished* “Okay, hold on now. One, I did not have to come here and offer you a chance to move your vehicle. Two, I still don’t need to offer it, but Christmas is in three days and I really don’t want to tow your car. So, either move it now, or pay a couple hundred dollars in fines when I tow it.”

(The car owner delayed for a few seconds and then threw something down in anger. He stormed out of the restaurant to go move his vehicle. I followed him outside to make sure he moved his vehicle, which he did. I told him to have a happy holiday, and he returned the wishes by flipping me the bird.)